Kilmarnock

Brad Lyons will be traveling back to Ayrshire with mixed emotions.

The Kilmarnock man fulfilled a lifelong dream by making his senior Northern Ireland debut on Tuesday, delivering a solid debut in midfield.

But Michael O'Neill's side suffered another defeat as an early Adam Cerin free-kick was enough to earn Slovenia victory over the 10-man hosts at Windsor Park.

O'Neill's men now have just six points from eight qualifiers.

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The season couldn't have got off to a much better start for Kilmarnock. Derek McInnes' side beat Rangers to kick off their league campaign and then dumped Celtic out of the Viaplay Cup.

However, there have been a couple of bumps in the road since then, and one of their primary concerns will surround their inability to hang onto a lead.

The Rugby Park outfit have dropped seven points from winning positions in the Scottish Premiership so far this season - no other side in the division has dropped more than four.

Whether it is a lack of game management, or poor tactical decisions, it is something that McInnes will be determined to fix as the season wears on.

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Sandy Armour, Killie Hippo fanzine

Killie emerged from Parkhead with no points as expected but it was a funny game in many ways.

If Celtic had taken their chances we would have been battered, yet if VAR had done its job and Joe Wright hadn't missed a total sitter, we may have stolen a point.

Having watched Killie since Guy Fawkes was our reserve keeper, I know that our finishing position won't be determined by our record at Parkhead, it's the games against the lower-placed teams that we need to start winning.

With no game this weekend it gives me the opportunity to mouth off about my pet hate, VAR.

They say decisions level out over a season, well that definitely never happened last year with Killie.

We had some diabolical decisions against us and if we take our games against St Johnstone in isolation we are due about half a dozen soft decisions in our favour against the Perth team alone.

The shambles of the Spurs v Liverpool game last week highlighted the failing system we use and that was with higher-profile officials down south in charge.

I agree with what Ange Postecoglou said this week, keep the goalline technology and bin the rest, although there is more chance that the faceless wonders of Scottish football would sanction an opposition penalty at Ibrox.

Neil McCann believes there is no cause for concern for Kilmarnock, and a "decent season" can still be had, despite going seven games without a win.

Killie suffered a 3-1 defeat to Celtic on Saturday, the last side the Ayrshire club beat when they knocked the holders of the League Cup out of this year's competition.

"It's always difficult going to Celtic Park and playing the three at the back and trying to hit on the counter-attack, but Kilmarnock did have opportunities and they played some good stuff," the former Scotland international said on Sportscene.

"Derek McInnes said last week no one has run over the top of them and I think he would still stand by that. Celtic didn't run over the top of them, despite us saying they were at their best in the first 45 minutes.

"There's still enough there, when you pick the bones of it, to say that it could still be a decent season for Kilmarnock, but of course, they do need to get back to winning games, clearly."

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We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's away defeat by Celtic.

Anna: Another poor performance. Does Derek McInnes even know his best XI? Playing one up front for us does not work and the only time McInnes saw that was when we were 2-0 down. Credit to David Watson for at least pulling one back, but why wait until the last minute to make four changes when the game was already lost. These subs should have been made a lot sooner.

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Were you in attendance for Kilmarnock's defeat by Celtic?

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "We were a bit too passive. That's as good as Celtic have been. Celtic were forcing the issue.

"We were disappointed with the first goal. I would expect more pressure on the ball. [For the second goal] I thought it was an offside in the passage of play. I'm not shouting from the rooftops about it. Disappointed with our part in that.

"We get a good goal. Joe Wright should do better with his header at 2-1. We got undone. We've got to get tighter marked. We lose a poor third goal."

BBC Scotland's Kheredine Idessane at Celtic Park

Celtic scored three and could have had a fair few more and were pretty secure at the back, with the returning Cameron Carter-Vickers given just over an hour. Sound familiar?

It's the pattern of many a domestic home match for Celtic over the past couple of years. They didn't let their Euro disappointment fester for a second as they got their Premiership groove on and extended their lead at the top of the table yet further. Manager Brendan Rodgers will be happy with the energy and number of chances created, if a little critical that more weren't converted into goals.

Plenty for Kilmarnock to take from this as well. When they got back to within a goal of Celtic with 18 minutes to go, there was a real doubt about the outcome but they just couldnt convert any chances from there. They showed a good appetite, however, and no little skill either, especially in the second half.

David Watson got Kilmarnock back into the match with a well taken goal and was tireless in his running on the right flank.

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Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and wiger Luis Palma come into the Celtic starting line-up after both came off the bench in midweek against Lazio. Nat Phillis and Yang Hyun-jun drop to the bench.

Two changes also for Kilmarnock. Defender Robbie Deas and midfielder David Watson start with forward Innes Cameron having to make do with a place on the bench and Kyle Magennis missing out injured.

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Celtic: Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, O'Riley, Hatate, Maeda, Kyogo, Palma.

Substitutes: Bain, Phillips, Yang, Holm, Oh, Tomoki, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston.

Kilmarnock: Dennis, Mayo, Findlay, Wright, Deas, Ndaba, Armstrong, Lyons, Watson, Kennedy, Vassell.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Sanders, Davies, Polworth, Murray, A Brown, Warnock, Cameron, Dallas.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tips Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes for the Rangers job. (Sun), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip

Celtic still have Liel Abada (thigh), Maik Nawrocki (hamstring) and Stephen Welsh (ankle) on the sidelines while Marco Tilio is building up his fitness.

Kilmarnock midfielder Kyle Magennis has been ruled out for eight to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.

Attacker Marley Watkins has a chance of returning after a groin problem but Derek McInnes has a couple of unnamed players who are battling to recover from knocks.

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The weekend is here and so is the podcast you need to tee up all the Scottish Premiership action.

Tune in to the dulcet tones David Currie and Roy Loy for the top-flight lowdown here.

Stuart Findlay has fond memories of scoring a dramatic late winner against Celtic in his previous Kilmarnock spell and says belief will be key in Saturday’s trip to face the champions.

Brendan Rodgers was in the final months of his first Celtic tenure when Findlay’s stoppage-time header capped a 2-1 Killie victory at Rugby Park in September 2018.

“That was a while ago now, so I’m showing my age a little bit. It was the perfect example of needing to have belief,” said Findlay.

“I remember it being 1-1 in the last minute and we could have easily kept the ball in the corner, but you need to have belief that you can win these games.”

That win stood as Killie’s last success over Celtic until this season’s Viaplay Cup upset.

“I think we’ll be playing a different Celtic to what we faced here earlier in the season, but we’d be silly not to try and take confidence from having beaten them already,” added Findlay.

“We were excellent on the day, hopefully we can recreate that and show it wasn’t a one-off result. We know it’s going to be difficult, but we must go in with that mindset.”

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Kilmarnock can "take a lot of confidence" from their Viaplay Cup victory over Celtic when the sides meet in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, says manager Derek McInnes.

Marley Watkins' close-range finish was the difference between the teams at Rugby Park in August and inflicted Brendan Rodgers' first cup defeat as Celtic boss.

“We showed a lot in that game, we can take a lot of confidence from that," McInnes said. "It certainly was a good level of performance.

"We did so much right in the game. It’s trying to mirror a lot of what we did in that game. Even last season going to Celtic Park, we competed really well for long spells.

"We have to rely on our concentration. When you go to Celtic Park you have to do a lot right. Celtic are up and running a wee bit more, but we’re confident going into the game."

Celtic have improved since that loss to Kilmarnock but McInnes believes there is still more to come from the defending league champions.

“I don’t think Brendan thinks they’re exactly where he wants them to be," he added.

"They’ve still got key players missing, but there’s been more zip in their play, more convincing with their pressing, and there are signs there that they are more like a Brendan Rodgers team."

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